Free Coloring Worksheets

Sometime last year, I went to the store to buy my daughter's first coloring book and box of crayons. While standing in the aisle, a woman and her son passed me and I heard the little boy say, "Mommy, I want to color!" Her response was, "No, there's no need for you to color. Let's go!" My heart sank. I began to wonder if the mother knew the importance of coloring, and the delight it would bring to her son's life.

Coloring is a fun activity that allows children to express themselves. They learn how to be creative with the many different colors of crayons, and they also learn what it means to be patient. Children can build their fine motor skills and learn to be coordinated with their hands. On top of all these wonderful benefits, they will also learn how to focus and stay focused on a task that needs completed, and in this case, a beautiful picture.We offer many different coloring worksheets for teachers to print out. They are free to use, and will bring much enjoyment to the classroom! Just print and color. Have fun!

What is the Educational benefit of Coloring?

With a rise in technology usage, coloring activities seem to have taken a back seat. Thus, engaging children in activities that don't involve screen time has become even more crucial. Coloring is one of the simplest activities for children with numerous educational benefits, apart from just being a healthy activity. Coloring would fit the bill if you want to incorporate some educational components into your children's routine. All you need is a pack of colors and a coloring book to nurture your creativity. This inexpensive activity is excellent for traveling and requires absolutely no preparation. You can easily find materials at any retail store. It's a hassle-free and enjoyable activity for children. There is significant research to prove that coloring helps reduce stress anxiety and promotes creativity. This is one of the main reasons adult coloring books are becoming increasingly popular. They relax your brain's fear center by taking you away from the thoughts that cause you to be restless. The meditative benefits of coloring have been endorsed by the American Art Therapy Association (AATA). If you are a parent or a teacher struggling to find activities to engage children, invest in some colors and coloring books and allow your kids to get busy! Here are 7 educational benefits linked with coloring for your children.



1. Coloring prepares children for school

There is a lot of structure in the children's education system with respect to daily assignments, activities, and tests. They need to be prepared beforehand to take on the pressures of being in school and delivering work timely. Coloring prepares them to cope with the challenges associated with structured work. Hence, coloring worksheets and books can be integral in preparing children for school work.



2. Aids in the development of fine motor skills

Coloring helps develop the hand-strength of the children. It trains their muscles to grip the pencil firmly; this is especially true for preschoolers who need to start developing hand strength at an early age so that they can take a step towards handwriting.
Handwriting takes a lot of dexterity, and by encouraging your child to practice coloring, handwriting will be easier for them. If they develop improper pencil grip habits in the start, it could lead to poor handwriting in the future.



3. Encourages creativity and self-expression

To stimulate creative centers of the child's mind, allow them to color freely. Don't restrict or discourage them. Even if they insist on coloring the same picture over and over again, they would still be engaging the creative centers of their brains. Coloring also gives children a sense of independence and freedom. They can choose which picture to choose, what colors to use etc. They may not always have the right words to express their feelings, but they would be able to do so without needing the vocabulary with coloring.



4. Develops focus and hand-to-eye coordination

Learning focus at an early age will help children in their education and their professional careers. Coloring aids as a practical exercise to build focus in children. With a focused approach, they will learn to see through tasks from the beginning to the end. With coloring being a part of their daily routine, you will notice how their focus gradually develops, and they start to color more intricately. Moreover, color also aids in the development of the hand and eye coordination. While they are coloring, they use both their hand strength and eye focus. When children start coloring, they struggle to color in between the shapes, but as they progress, their hand-to-eye coordination skill also improves. It takes a considerable amount of skill to master the art of staying inside the lines, but as they improve, they will have a sense of pride and achievement which is crucial for self-growth and confidence. Just let them color freely!



5. Helps in recognition of colors

Coloring also increases color awareness in children. Learning the names and hues of colors is essential for children, and coloring on coloring pages fosters that. When they start, you might notice, for example, a kid coloring the sun purple, but as they progress, they will learn to associate colors with shapes and objects. Allow them to be creative at first, but slowly and gradually, instill in them the awareness of the primary standard colors and the lesser-known colors.



6. Develops a sense of spatial awareness

An important aspect of adolescent development is adhering to boundaries and developing visual perception. Coloring anchors in children a sense of boundaries and structure as well. They learn about shapes, patterns, and lines. It will undoubtedly help your child to know the rules of coloring inside the lines, even if they become an abstract artist in the future.



7. Aids in relieving stress

Coloring activities can prove to be therapeutic for children. Some emotions can confuse children, and they may not always have the correct vocabulary to express them. To keep these emotions from bottling up, it is essential that we provide them with a healthy and engaging outlet for releasing them. Coloring has proven to be more than a recreational activity. It fosters not only physical but also physiological development of children. It contributes positively to a lifetime of benefits that will help them during their education and professional lives. According to Dr. Joel Pearson, a brain scientist at the University of New South Wales, coloring involves looking at a shape, determining its size, and picking a color. These acts occupy the same parts of the brain that prevent imagery which causes anxiety. Hence, proving that coloring helps children control their attention reduces their stress and makes them feel relaxed.

Encourage your children to color daily to promote learning, focus, muscle strength, and creativity. Setting it up is hassle-free, and you can carry their colors anywhere. Isn't it amazing how simple and fun has so many benefits for people of all ages? Happy Coloring!



Coloring Resources

  1. Cut & Paste Numbers Worksheet (.pdf)- Submitted by Penny Harbin.